The band was originally formed in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1990 by friends Merritt and (percussionist/pianist/vocalist) Claudia Gonson. While 1991's Distant Plastic Trees and 1992's The Wayward Bus (now most easily available together as a compilation, The Wayward Bus / Distant Plastic Trees) are sung by Susan Anway (b. 1951 - d. 2021), all subsequent albums are principally sung by Merritt himself.
Longtime members include: Gonson, (cellist) Sam Davol, and (banjo player/guitarist) John Woo. Contributors include (but are not limited to) the singers Susan Anway, Dudley Klute, Shirley Simms, and LD Beghtol, and the accordionist/writer Daniel Handler (famous for writing the childrens' books A Series of Unfortunate Events under the alias Lemony Snicket).
Their most popular and best-selling album to date is 69 Love Songs issued on Merge Records as a triple album filled with many fairly short songs that are reminiscent of early Beatles productions.
The album is notable for its employment of many unorthodox musical arrangements and downright impressive quantity of material presented. Instruments used on this album include the ukulele, banjo, accordion, cello, mandolin, piano, flute, xylophone guitars, various percussion instruments, and a standard setup of synths and effects. It features several guest vocalists on several different tracks. The album is a three CD set, released in the US as three separate albums (also available as a boxed set) and in the UK as a triple album.
The album i (2004, Nonesuch Records) continues Merritt's fixation on the concept album, with each of the 14 songs beginning with the letter (and often the pronoun) "I".
The album Distortion, was released through Nonesuch on the 15th January 2008 and introduced noise pop to the array of styles utilized in their music. The album's release was followed by a sold-out U.S. tour starting in February. Additional albums followed in 2010, 2012, 2017, and 2020.
Stephin Merritt is involved in several other musical projects: The 6ths (featuring different guest performers on every track), The Gothic Archies (songs dealing humorously with dark themes) and Future Bible Heroes (with music written by Chris Ewen)
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My Husband's Pied-a-Terre
The Magnetic Fields Lyrics
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Where every girl of every race
age, and bra size, and IQ
Goes when she feels broke or blue
It's a place more women stay
Than the YWCA
Go there once, you get the key
Where's a minx get minks to wear
Why, my husband's pied-à-terre
In two drinks, you think she'll care
That's my husband's pied-à-terre
Every alley cat in town
Knows my husband's flat in town
Better get your derriere
To my husband's pied-a-terre
Love is in the very air
Of my husband's pied-à-terre
I understand the latest fad
Is my husband's bachelor pad
All the classes mingle there
At my husband's pied-à-terre
There is not one single chair
In my husband's pied-à-terre
When I find this loony bin
I am going to do him in
The lyrics to "My Husband's Pied-a-Terre" by The Magnetic Fields depict a narrator who is aware of a secret place where women gather when they are feeling down or financially strained. This place is described as a refuge for women of all backgrounds, with references to race, age, bra size, and IQ. The lyrics suggest that this place is more populated by women than the YWCA, and once a woman visits this place, she receives a key, indicating that it is a private and exclusive location. However, the singer admits that she has never been there herself.
The song continues with the mention of a pied-a-terre, which is a small apartment or dwelling that someone keeps in addition to their main residence. The singer reveals that her husband has such a place, and it is an attractive haven for women to visit. The lyrics imply that women go there to indulge in luxury, possibly by wearing expensive fur coats, symbolized by minks, and that it only takes a couple of drinks for them to not care about the consequences.
The song also suggests that this pied-a-terre is widely known among women, notably the "alley cats" of the town. The singer expresses her frustration and determination to find this secret location and harm her husband for his infidelity.
Overall, the lyrics of "My Husband's Pied-a-Terre" paint a picture of a secret gathering place for women in need, a luxurious escape funded by the singer's unfaithful husband. The singer, feeling left out and betrayed, desires to confront her husband for his indiscretions.
Line by Line Meaning
I know of a groovy place
I am aware of an interesting and exciting location
Where every girl of every race
Where women from diverse racial backgrounds can be found
age, and bra size, and IQ
regardless of their age, bust measurement, or intelligence quotient
Goes when she feels broke or blue
visit when they are financially struggling or feeling sad
It's a place more women stay
It is a location that attracts and accommodates a larger number of women
Than the YWCA
compared to the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA)
Go there once, you get the key
After one visit, you gain access to this place
So every girl's been there but me
Therefore, all women, except for me, have experienced it
Where's a minx get minks to wear
Where can a flirtatious woman find mink garments to wear
Why, my husband's pied-à-terre
Well, it happens to be at my husband's secondary residence
In two drinks, you think she'll care
After consuming only two alcoholic beverages, do you believe she will show concern
That's my husband's pied-à-terre
That refers to my spouse's secondary residence
Every alley cat in town
Even the promiscuous women in town
Knows my husband's flat in town
Are acquainted with my husband's apartment in this city
Better get your derriere
You should quickly make your way
To my husband's pied-a-terre
To my spouse's secondary residence
Love is in the very air
A sense of romance fills the atmosphere
Of my husband's pied-à-terre
Present in my husband's secondary residence
I understand the latest fad
I am aware of the current trend
Is my husband's bachelor pad
Referring to my spouse's place where he entertains single women
All the classes mingle there
People from various social classes socialize at that location
At my husband's pied-à-terre
Located in my husband's secondary residence
There is not one single chair
Interestingly, there is a lack of chairs
In my husband's pied-à-terre
Within my husband's secondary residence
When I find this loony bin
Once I discover this madhouse or crazy place
I am going to do him in
I will take some form of revenge upon him
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: STEPHIN MERRITT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind